San Diego Unified School District: 2026-27 School Calendar

The first day of school for the SDUSD 2026-27 school year is Friday, August 7, 2026. This is earlier than in prior years and falls on a Friday rather than the traditional Monday start.

The last day of school for the 2026-27 school year is Wednesday, May 26, 2027.

Winter Break runs from Monday, December 21, 2026, through Friday, January 1, 2027. The break includes non-instructional days (Dec 21-23, Dec 28-30) and holidays (Dec 24-25, Dec 31-Jan 1). Students return to school on Monday, January 4, 2027.

Spring Break runs from Monday, March 29 through Friday, April 2, 2027. Students return to school on Monday, April 5, 2027.

The SDUSD 2026-27 academic calendar has 180 instructional days total, as adopted by the Board of Education on June 24, 2025.

Students do not attend school on Non-Instructional (NI) days. These days are reserved for teacher professional development and planning. In 2026-27, SDUSD Non-Instructional days fall on October 12, November 23-25, December 21-23 and 28-30, March 8, and March 29-31.

SDUSD has the entire Thanksgiving week off. Non-instructional days run Monday through Wednesday (November 23-25, 2026), followed by the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday and Friday (November 26-27, 2026). Students return Monday, November 30, 2026.

Yes, SDUSD observes Lincoln Day as a holiday on Friday, February 12, 2027. This is a California state holiday not observed by all districts, so it's easy to miss. Combined with Presidents' Day on Monday, February 15, students get a four-day weekend.

During Red Flag Warnings and poor air quality events caused by Santa Ana winds, SDUSD makes closure decisions based on guidance from local health, fire, and law enforcement agencies. Check NBC 7 San Diego, CBS 8, ABC 10News, KPBS, or the SDUSD website for announcements. Our Google Calendar sync updates automatically when emergency closures are announced.

Yes, this is the district-wide traditional academic calendar that applies to all San Diego Unified schools on the traditional schedule - from La Jolla and Pacific Beach to Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Clairemont, City Heights, and Southeast San Diego. Year-round track schools follow a separate calendar.

SDUSD observes both Lincoln Day on Friday, February 12, 2027, and Presidents' Day on Monday, February 15, 2027. This gives students a four-day weekend (Friday through Monday) - a great opportunity for a family trip to the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, or the beach.

California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) testing for SDUSD typically takes place in the spring, generally between March and May 2027. Individual school testing windows vary, so check with your child's school for exact dates.

Military families at Naval Base San Diego, MCAS Miramar, or nearby Camp Pendleton who enroll in SDUSD schools follow this same district calendar. Our auto-syncing Google Calendar is especially helpful during PCS moves, ensuring you never miss important dates while settling into a new duty station.

San Diego Unified covers the city of San Diego (La Jolla to Southeast San Diego, Pacific Beach to Scripps Ranch). Areas like Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Carmel Mountain are served by Poway Unified. The north coast (Del Mar, Encinitas) is San Dieguito Union. South Bay (Chula Vista, National City) is Sweetwater Union. Each has its own separate calendar.

The SDUSD 2026-27 calendar starts on Friday, August 7, 2026, which is a change from the typical Monday start. The Board of Education adopted this calendar on June 24, 2025. The Friday start gives students and teachers one day to ease into routines before the first full week begins on Monday, August 10.